Every day, police officers respond to reports of all sorts of events and nonevents, most of which never make the news. Here is a sampling of lesser-known — but no less noteworthy — incidents from police log books (a.k.a. blotters) in our suburbs.
SATANIC TEMPLE BROUHAHA
In Salem, where witches and the supernatural have long been pillars of the economy, the opening of yet another business dedicated to the dark side may have escaped your attention. But it didn’t evade the radar of police, who were called to quell a disturbance there on the day of its grand opening. It happened at a Victorian house on Bridge Street, the new official headquarters of the Satanic Temple, an organization with 17 US chapters and five abroad. “As Satanists,’’ the organization proclaims in its mission statement, “we all should be guided by our consciences to undertake noble pursuits guided by our individual wills.’’ According to its website, the new temple boasts a 7½-foot-tall bronze statue of Baphomet, a goat-headed idol with wings; an online store that sells pentagram pendants and T-shirts adorned with slogans like “HAIL SATAN, EST. 666”; and a fledgling After-School Satan Club program for kids that has attracted serious coverage from the Washington Post. Prior to the temple’s opening Sept. 23, Salem Mayor Kimberley Driscoll’s office had only received a smattering of phone calls from people expressing concerns. But one woman took it a step further, allegedly causing a disturbance outside the temple as it opened its doors to the public. Officers responded to the scene and spoke to a temple official, who said the woman was making disparaging remarks about him to patrons; the woman told police she was merely there to protest the grand opening. Police advised her and the temple official to respect each other’s constitutional rights under the First Amendment. The woman was advised to stay off private property and not interfere with people going in and out; the temple official was told he could seek to obtain a harassment prevention order in court. He told officers he’d consider doing so.
AND THEY SAY GOLF IS LOSING POPULARITY
WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Just after 8:30 p.m. Sept. 7, Brookline officers were dispatched to an Aspinwall Avenue apartment building for a larceny report. The victim reported he had recently moved in and placed his new grill in the backyard, unsecured. The next day, it was gone.
MORE ODD THEFTS
Emily Sweeney can be reached at esweeney@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @emilysweeney.